I need some suggestions on what old military bolt actions or semi-autos I should be looking for. Now I'm big enough for the kick-ass rifles, so anything would work. Sombody just know of a good ole...and please don't suggest an ati-material or tank rifle...California resident

1. The "get them while you can" list - quantities on the market dwindling)
1903(a3) from CMP
M1 Carbine from CMP (10 rd mags available for CA)
M1 Garand from CMP
Finnish M-39 (cheap ammo and a great shooter)
Lee-Enfield SMLE

2. the "Still at the wholesalers" list - at least in some conditions
Com-bloc Mosin Nagants (same ammo as M-39 above, but not as accurate)
Carcanos (ammo is difficult)
K-31 (great shooter, ammo is not so cheap)
Mausers in 8x57

Those on list 1 are a little more expensive in general but you may not have a chance on those in another year or two.

That's what i was afraid of saands. I really dig 1903s, what's the cheapest price you guys have seen for all of the above? The cheapest 1903 i could find was $650. Forget that, im 16 with a 16-year-old's budget so that was OUT!!! When it comes to M1 Carbines...well lets just say that is also out.

ALTHOUGH!!!!!!!!!! It's summer so I can work more, maybe I can afford some pricier guns now...

Yup ... if I was on a 16yr old budget I'd be grabbing a couple of Mosin Nagants ... an M44 and a 91/30 ought to keep you very busy and there is plenty of ammo still out there. My main focus has always been the Lee Enfield but these are becoming much more expensive generally and the surplus ammo is tougher to find. .303 from modern manufacture is still readily available however.

Maybe not as accurate when using surplus ammo, .prvi, or standard Winchester white box, but if you slug the bore of your Mosin Nagant (non-Fin) and use the right sized bullet, it turns out just as accurate from my experience.

The M44s are getting hard to find and when you can find them, they're between $130 and $150, and will probably go up higher. You can still get a very good M91/30 between $70 and $100 at gun shows. I can't find any M38s on the milsurp sites now.

__________________Liberty and freedom often offends those who understand neither.

The first of the lot was the Enfield and the most recent was my MAS. I say you should save up for what you want and go get it or simply peruse your local shops and see what catches your eye. Very few of my guns I bought when I was expressly looking for them. I have a list of arms in my head that I want to own and several shops that I frequent. When that stars align (I have the money and a good specimen of something I want is on the rack) I buy.

Getting a Mosin ($100) is a good, inexpensive way to get into the hobby. Some of them are drying up (Garands, K31s, etc.) and the price will increase as a result. I would consider saving up for one of the more expensive ones and get them while you can. I don't think that the Mosins will always be a hundred bucks, but they'll probably sill be quite affordable for some time.

My daughter started out at 13 with a 8mm turk mauser and learned shooting and hunting on it. She's now 22 and won't let go of it. The closest thing she'll shoot of mine when she's left hers at home is a sporterized K98 I have. Beware, mausers are very addictive. It starts with a turk , a M48, then a K98, then a P38, a Hsc, a Luger ,,,,,,,,,,,when you're done you have an arsonal.

Seriously, on your budget check out the mosins and the turkish mausers. Remember to take into account Ammo in the budget. Shooting it will be most the fun. If you can't afford the ammo you'll have some neat wall decor or a high tech club,,,,,,,, or a spear if you have the bayonet.

It all depends on how deep your wallet goes, the Mosin Nagant M91/59 Carbine was my first gun, it was only $85 at a gun show, but if you want a semi-auto, then your looking at anywhere from $600 (M1 Carbine and Garand)-$5000 (German G-41, G-43, and K-43, with the Soviet SVT-40 somewhere in the middle). The next alternitive would be to go to Gunbroker.com and start searching the type of gun YOU want and get price ranges. Thats what I do.

Don't forget about the SKS! one of the guns most overlooked by serious collectors! Gotta love the poor man's com bloc garand, though, and at about 250-350 depending on local prices, you can still pick up a decent Norinco for relatively cheap. (or a yugo from samco global). Uses the same ammo as the AK's too (7.62x39), so ammo's most likely going to be available in the future with the volume of AK and SKS enthusiasts (whereas something like the K31 ammo, GP11, is a bit more niche)

But I do love my mosins

__________________
Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.

Mosins are definitely the way to go on a budget. They can be had for $100-120 on average, but if you really look around, you can get some awesome deals. I've a friend who got a 91/30 for $45, but that was a couple of years ago, and I got my M44 for only $79, and that was a couple of weeks ago. Ammo is cheap and easy to find.

Amazingly a place that has good deals and is freaking everywhere that usually always has mosins and m95s is Big 5.... Weird i know but i've pick up several Mosins there for under $100 and i bought an Austrian Steyer M95 for $65 call around to your local Big 5's and ask what antique rifles they have, the first rifle i bought was at Big 5 and it was a 1935 Mosin with a hex receiver, the stock was mismatched wood, but it was a great shooter. and as stated earlier the ammo is cheap and readily available at almost any gun store, just clean them intensively after you shoot because the surplus ammo is really corrosive.

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